Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by Lord Markham on 21 March (HLWS366), whether NHS England and integrated care board aggregate NHS mental health expenditure would still be expected to increase as a share of their total expenditure in 2024–25 compared with 2023–24 if "non-recurrent" expenditure is not excluded from the baseline calculation; and if not, whether they will itemise and quantify expected "non-recurrent" expenditure in both years.

Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)

The following table shows the spend on mental health in 2024/25 and 2023/24, the total National Health Service mandate, and the spend on mental health as a percentage of the mandate:

Source: NHS England.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of the Gambia concerning new legislation which would decriminalise female genital mutilation.

Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)

The UK Government, alongside our international partners, continues to have frank and open conversations with The Gambian Government, including the President and other Ministers, about the Bill to repeal the ban on FGM. On 19 March, the Foreign Secretary issued a tweet reinforcing the UK Government's position that FGM is harmful and should be illegal, and the Minister for Development and Africa spoke to the President about the repercussions of any vote in favour of FGM once again being permitted in The Gambia.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government when before 1 April they will confirm whether NHS mental health funding will increase as a share of overall NHS expenditure in 2024/25, as required by section 3(2) of the Health and Care Act 2022.

Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)

Information on mental health funding within the National Health Service will be made available once NHS planning guidance is published.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government which scientific criteria they apply in deciding whether an educational institution can describe itself as a Health Sciences University; whether these criteria could apply to an institution teaching homeopathy and other alternative therapies; and which peer-reviewed research or externally-assessed teaching the Office for Students relied upon in deciding to allow the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic and University College of Osteopathy to rebrand themselves as the Health Sciences University.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)

When a provider requests to change its name, a strict criteria and assessment process is followed. The provider will already have undergone considerable scrutiny when being awarded Degree Awarding Powers (DAPs), including input from quality experts, drawn from the sector, to test the provider against multiple criteria. Indefinite DAP’s status is the main eligibility test for providers to be able to go through the title process.

In this instance, the provider gained degree awarding powers in 2016 and so was able to apply for university title as per the rules set out in the Office for Students’ (OfS) ‘Regulatory advice 13: how to apply for university college and university title’, which is attached and also available at: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/regulatory-advice-13-how-to-apply-for-university-college-and-university-title/#:~:text=and%20university%20title-,Regulatory%20advice%2013%3A%20How%20to%20apply%20for%20university%20college%20and,as%20part%20of%20their%20name.

The department and the OfS were notified in September 2023 regarding the provider changing its name. When considering the proposed new name for a provider, the OfS must have due regard to the need to avoid names that are, or may be, confusing. In addition, in the instance of the newly named Health Sciences University, the OfS operated an open consultation on the proposed name. This ran from 22 February 2024 to 21 March 2024, and determined the regulator's final decision. The OfS approach is set out in their case report ‘Approval of proposed new name for AECC University College - Office for Students’, which is attached and can also be found at: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/approval-of-proposed-new-name-for-aecc-university-college/.

In addition to the OfS process, regulations brought into force under the Companies Act 2006 means that the department has responsibility for confirming that it has no objection to the use of the sensitive word ‘university’ in a business name. The OfS published approval of the proposed new name from ‘AECC University College' to 'Health Sciences University’ in July 2024. The department then considered the request from the provider to change its name to ‘Health Sciences University’ and was satisfied that the use of the word ‘university’ was appropriate in this context. The department had no objection to the use of the term ‘university’ in the proposed business name ‘Health Sciences University’ and issued the provider with a non-objection letter on 18 July 2024.

During this consultation the OfS did not receive any responses questioning the merit of the subject area(s) of the provider.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Iraq about legislative proposals by some Shia parties to effectively legalise sex with nine-year-old girls.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The UK is analysing the proposed amendments to Iraq's Personal Status Law and its implications for women and children's rights, which we note have not yet been passed through the House of Representatives. As we continue to privately engage with a range of Iraqi interlocutors to discuss this, including the Government of Iraq, we are emphasising the importance of any amendments' compatibility with Iraq's international obligations.

Found: comes next for the NHS, it is clear that, when it is properly funded —as the noble lord, Lord Stevens of Birmingham

Found: Lord Stevens of Birmingham Kt brings extensive experience as a senior leader in the public and private

Found: Lord Stevens of Birmingham Kt brings extensive experience as a senior leader in the public and private